Monte Sant'Angelo di Cava, Monte Finestra, Badia di Cava, and San Liberatore

Premise

This route was done on May 5th, 2023, and all subsequent observations and considerations can fully apply only to that day.

This version from Nocera Superiore to Salerno is all on tracks mapped on the local hiking maps and/or in OpenStreetMap and its derivatives.

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The initial ascent follows the CAI 318 trail, so from the FS Station of Nocera Superiore, you must head towards Via Petraro Pucciano and continue to the end.

Then continue to a concrete aqueduct structure, and about 70 meters later the CAI 318 starts on the left: at the trail entrance, there are no signs but red marks on stones on the ground.

You always ascend within the woods and, at some point, you must leave CAI 318 to switch to 316 following a non-CAI connecting path.

Looking at the maps, there are at least 3 options for this connection between 318 and 316, and we chose the third, the highest one, which connects to 316 just above a summit at 708 (or 709 depending on the map) called “Mammone.”

From here, continue until just before the Sorgente della Sgarrupa, then turn left and ascend to CAI 312 which leads to the summit of Monte Sant’Angelo di Cava.

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If instead of turning left you continue straight, you end up at Le Chiancolelle location after passing also the Sorgente della Salamandrina Terdigitata: see route → Monte Finestra-Monte Sant'Angelo di Cava-Chiancolelle from Tramonti.

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From Monte Sant’Angelo di Cava, continue along the beautiful "ridge ride" to Monte Finestra.

You start descending to the Tuoro Sant’Angelo pass on a not always very visible track, but the slope is not difficult, and even if you lose the trail for a few meters you find it again shortly.

From this first pass, after overcoming a couple of nice summits, head towards the one at Pietrapiana location with its characteristic caves.

From Pietrapiana it remains clearly visible regarding orientation up to the summit of Monte Finestra North.

Monte Finestra South is “within reach” just separated by the Monte Finestra notch, but to stay in hiking terrain you must follow the CAI marks carefully, which guide you in an initial descent directly southwest.

Then there is a stretch on steeper rocks heading south, and you enter a short trail-ledge (with a helping cable handrail) eastward up to the Monte Finestra notch.

From here follow the marked trail to Monte Finestra South – today the iron summit post I knew was down: I put it back, but I don’t know how long it will last.

To complete the upper part of the crossing, continue heading south until Foce di Tramonti: always well marked with some “watch your ankles” passages – in reality today also beware... of the Maremma sheepdogs!

From Foce di Tramonti we simply followed CAI 306 downhill to Corpo di Cava: no particular problems, except for an intermediate stretch a bit blocked by seasonal regrowth of shrubs, but without brambles.

At Corpo di Cava, we entered the stairways that descend to the level of Badia della SS Trinità.

Here we crossed the bridge and turned left opposite a “ceramic signal tile” with a map of the «Sentiero Capitan Carmine».

Now there is the long up-and-down connection (but tending downhill) to Molina di Vietri sul Mare, always following the «Sentiero Italia S15S» signs.

It is a mix of trails and small roads passing through the Padovani location before the final descent.

You cross Molina di Vietri sul Mare always following the signs of «Sentiero Italia S15S,» and you leave the asphalt on stairs that pass under a road bridge.

Shortly after, the trail passes under a high railway bridge, and a “steep little climb” starts leading above the slope that “covers” the highway tunnel.

After the climb on the trail, you join a natural-surface road that continues to cut across the entire north side of Monte San Liberatore until the clearing (also accessible by car) located under the wide final ascent trail.

The final trail continues south-southwest to a nice first panoramic point, then starts the series of final hairpins heading north up to the large summit Cross of Monte San Liberatore.

Shortly before, there is another Cross that anticipates the very short detour to the Hermitage of San Liberatore, now closed.

For the final stretch towards Salerno (if… on foot) the choice is almost obligatory for the small road of Sentiero del Principe.

We had planned to cross part of the old town passing in front of the Cathedral, ending at a BUSITALIA bus stop on the waterfront.